The Battle of Gnila Lipa took place early in the World War I on 29–30 August 1914, when the
Imperial Russian Army
The Imperial Russian Army (russian: Ру́сская импера́торская а́рмия, tr. ) was the armed land force of the Russian Empire, active from around 1721 to the Russian Revolution of 1917. In the early 1850s, the Russian Ar ...
invaded
Galicia and engaged the defending
Austro-Hungarian Army
The Austro-Hungarian Army (, literally "Ground Forces of the Austro-Hungarians"; , literally "Imperial and Royal Army") was the ground force of the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy from 1867 to 1918. It was composed of three parts: the joint arm ...
. It was part of a larger series of battles known collectively as the
Battle of Galicia
The Battle of Galicia, also known as the Battle of Lemberg, was a major battle between Russia and Austria-Hungary during the early stages of World War I in 1914. In the course of the battle, the Austro-Hungarian armies were severely defeated and ...
. The battle ended in a defeat of the Austro-Hungarian forces.
Background
The battle is named after a river in
Western Ukraine
Western Ukraine or West Ukraine ( uk, Західна Україна, Zakhidna Ukraina or , ) is the territory of Ukraine linked to the former Kingdom of Galicia–Volhynia, which was part of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Austria ...
, an historical region of
Galicia. It is a tributary of
Dniester
The Dniester, ; rus, Дне́стр, links=1, Dnéstr, ˈdⁿʲestr; ro, Nistru; grc, Τύρᾱς, Tyrās, ; la, Tyrās, la, Danaster, label=none, ) ( ,) is a transboundary river in Eastern Europe. It runs first through Ukraine and th ...
, and is also called the
Hnyla Lypa
Hnyla Lypa (, ) is a river in Ukraine, a tributary of the Dniester river.
The name literally means "rotten linden tree" both in Polish and Ukrainian. It runs parallel to the Zolota Lypa river.
The river is namesake to the Battle of Gnila Lip ...
( pl, Gniła Lipa).
According to
Prit Buttar
Prit Buttar is a British general practitioner and writer. He has written ten history books on the eastern fronts of Eastern Front (World War I), World War I and Eastern Front (World War II), World War II, and two novels. Dr. Buttar was Senior Pa ...
, "In Galicia the weakness of the Austro-Hungarian position lay in the east. An entire army -
Böhm-Ermolli's
Second Army - was still missing, either still deployed in the
Balkans
The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...
or languishing on painfully slow troop trains. By contrast, the Russians had two powerful armies deployed for an early advance into eastern Galicia. The two eastern armies were now ordered to move west as fast as possible, in order to reduce the pressure on the
Fourth and
Fifth Armies. As his western armies moved north,
Conrad had to protect their eastern flank, and therefore ordered
Brudermann's
Third Army to perform this task by moving north." The two Russian armies consisted of
Nikolai Ruzsky
Nikolai Vladimirovich Ruzsky (russian: Никола́й Влади́мирович Ру́зский; – October 18, 1918) was a Imperial Russia, Russian general, member of the state and military councils, best known for his role in World Wa ...
's
Third Army, with the IX, X, XI, and XXI Corps, consisting of 12 infantry divisions and 4 cavalry divisions, and the
Aleksei Brusilov
Aleksei Alekseyevich Brusilov ( rus, Алексе́й Алексе́евич Бруси́лов, p=ɐlʲɪkˈsʲej ɐlʲɪkˈsʲejɪvʲɪdʑ brʊˈsʲiɫəf; – 17 March 1926) was a Russian and later Soviet general most noted for the developme ...
's
Eighth Army, with the VII, VIII, XII, and XXIV Corps, consisting of 10 infantry divisions and 5 cavalry divisions. The Third Army was located around
Rovno
Rivne (; uk, Рівне ),) also known as Rovno (Russian: Ровно; Polish: Równe; Yiddish: ראָוונע), is a city in western Ukraine. The city is the administrative center of Rivne Oblast (province), as well as the surrounding Rivne Raio ...
and
Dubno
Dubno ( uk, Ду́бно) is a city and municipality located on the Ikva River in Rivne Oblast (province) of western Ukraine. It serves as the administrative center of Dubno Raion (district). The city is located on intersection of two major Eu ...
, while the Eighth Army was located around
Proskurov
Khmelnytskyi ( uk, Хмельни́цький, Khmelnytskyi, ), until 1954 Proskuriv ( uk, Проску́рів, links=no ), is a city in western Ukraine, the administrative center for Khmelnytskyi Oblast (region) and Khmelnytskyi Raion (distr ...
. The Austro-Hungarian Third Army consisted of the III, XI, and XIV Corps, with 18 infantry divisions and 4 cavalry divisions, supported by
Hermann Kövess von Kövessháza
Hermann Albin Josef Freiherr Kövess von Kövessháza ( hu, kövessházi báró Kövess Hermann; 30 March 1854 – 22 September 1924) was the final, and completely ceremonial, Commander-in-Chief of the Austro-Hungarian Army. He served as a gener ...
's ''Armeegruppe'', consisting of the XII Corps. Brudermann's Third Army was ordered north to protect Conrad's eastern flank, while Kövess was ordered to advance east of
Lemberg
Lviv ( uk, Львів) is the largest city in Western Ukraine, western Ukraine, and the List of cities in Ukraine, seventh-largest in Ukraine, with a population of . It serves as the administrative centre of Lviv Oblast and Lviv Raion, and is o ...
towards
Przemyślany. On 21 August, Russian forces crossed the frontier between
Brody
Brody ( uk, Броди; russian: Броды, Brodï; pl, Brody; german: Brody; yi, בראָד, Brod) is a city in Zolochiv Raion of Lviv Oblast (province) of western Ukraine. It is located in the valley of the upper Styr River, approximately ...
and
Tarnopol
Ternópil ( uk, Тернопіль, Ternopil' ; pl, Tarnopol; yi, טאַרנאָפּל, Tarnopl, or ; he, טארנופול (טַרְנוֹפּוֹל), Tarnopol; german: Tarnopol) is a city in the west of Ukraine. Administratively, Ternopi ...
. On 25 August, the Russian Third Army was preparing to advance north of Lemberg, while the Eighth advanced to the south.
Battle
Brudermann's plan of attack was for his XII Corps towards Remizowce, his III Corps towards Zloczow, with the XI protecting the northern flank. On 26 August, the II Corps advanced and immediately encountered the Russian XI Corps. By the end of the day, the III Corps advance was limited to
Gologory
Holohory ( uk, Гологори, russian: Гологоры - Gologory, pl, Gołogóry) is a hill range in the northwestern part of Podolian Upland, Ukraine, stretching from Lviv to Zolochiv, Lviv Oblast, Zolochiv, constituting part of the Europe ...
and
Zlota Lipa
Zolota Lypa ( uk, Золота Липа, pl, Złota Lipa) is a river in Western Ukraine. It flows through the Ternopil and Chortkiv Raions, forming the Berezhany Lake north of the city of Berezhany. It is a left tributary of Dniester, belonging t ...
area. The XII corps encountered the Russian X corps. On 27 August, Brudermann tried once again to attack east, but that night and the next day, retreated along a line from Lemberg to Przemyslany, and the
Gnila Lipa. The 13 Austro-Hungarian divisions now faced 22 Russian divisions, while the Russian VII and XII Corps advanced from the southeast. Yet the Russian Third Army paused. On 29 August, attacks by the Austro-Hungarian XII and VII Corps, newly arrived from Serbia, were stopped by the Russian VII and XII Corps respectively. On 30 August, the Russians pressed forward their attacks, overwhelming the Austro-Hungarian XII Corps, and Brudermann was forced to retreat along a line south from Lemberg.
[
]
Aftermath
Prit Buttar noted, "Conrad's spirits lifted when news arrived from Auffenberg's headquarters that the Russian forces involved in the fighting around Komarów had been destroyed, and that it would therefore be possible for the victorious Fourth army to attack towards Lemberg as planned." However, the Russian Eighth Army advanced through Bukovina
Bukovinagerman: Bukowina or ; hu, Bukovina; pl, Bukowina; ro, Bucovina; uk, Буковина, ; see also other languages. is a historical region, variously described as part of either Central or Eastern Europe (or both).Klaus Peter BergerT ...
, and Brudermann unable to hold his position, withdrew to the Wereszyca. Lemberg was abandoned on 2 September, and the Russians entered the next day. Brudermann was dismissed the same day, replaced by Svetozar Boroević
Svetozar Boroević von Bojna (or Borojević) (13 December 1856 – 23 May 1920) was an Austro-Hungarian field marshal who was described as one of the finest defensive strategists of the First World War. He commanded Austro-Hungarian forces i ...
.[
]
Additional Reading
* J. Rickard
Battle of Gnila Lipa, 26-30 August 1914
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Battle of Gnila Lipa
Gnila Lipa, Battle of
Gnila Lipa
Gnila Lipa
Gnila Lipa
Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria
1914 in the Russian Empire